The Reluctant Father

Posted on Thu Mar 20th, 2025 @ 3:26am by Lieutenant Commander Rin & Commander Kyle Reece

Mission: Back Home
Location: USS Endurance / Galaxy Station
Timeline: MD : Current (during "A Church Beyond Heaven")
2818 words - 5.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Captain Addison sat in his ready room, a drink set off to the side. Rin's godchildren - technically he and Rin's godchildren - had asked to speak with him, hoping to learn more about Rin. It was... uncomfortable. He was thankful Rin had been willing to handle them herself, and that the twins seemed to understand his discomfort with all of this. But with Rin gone... maybe he needed to step in. At the very least, he could help them better understand her, and maybe it would give him a bit of relief being able to share memories.

"So, 2 of 7, 4 of 7, how are you doing tonight?" he asked the holographic projection of them.

Two spoke for both herself and her brother. "We are doing well, Sir, considering the situation that we are currently facing. Have you been informed the latest intelligence on the theory of the fate of the USS Elysium and its crew?"

"I'm not sure. Care to catch me up?" James asked.

Two spent the next few minutes, detailing everything that had been discovered and discussed, during the ongoing investigation. She spoke of the quantum filament, and how detailed scans of the area seemed to indicate that the Elysiym had been caught in its grasp, only to, apparently, activate both standard warp, then quantum drive engines. The sudden surge of power seemingly slingshotting them, not only free of the filament, but far out of the Milky Way Galaxy. She then went into detail as to how the scans further indicated that, if the ship had survived the experience, the theory was that, by triangulating her escape vector, she would have ended up somewhere in the Circinus Galaxy, which was roughly 13 million lightyears away, and growing farther by the day.

Another galaxy. James took a long moment to take that in. Starfleet didn't even know of technology which could bridge that vast a distance, much less possess it. It barely existed in theoreticals.

"Well," he said slowly, considering his words. "If that is indeed what happened, if they arrived in Circinus, then such travel is clearly possible. Theoretically, then, return must also be possible. Theoretically. Anyone working on such theoretical works?"

Two nodded to the image of their godfather. "Yes, Sir. Several of the Federation's top theoretical physicists and structural engineers have been working to solve both the problem of transport- which as you know, we do not currently possess the technology to even send messages that far- and, attempting to figure out if the Elysium could conceivably survive both the journey and the velocity stresses." She grew silent for a bit, looking down, before continuing in a softer voice, finding it difficult to look James in the eyes. "My brother and I have been doing the calculations as well, non-stop since we arrived here, Sir. At present, our best estimates are, if Elysium did survive the transit, she would have sustained major damage....and a loss of life of at least a third of the compliment."

"Well, she's survived far worse odds than that. All three of you." He held up his glass as a sort of toast before taking a drink. "If there's anything I can do to assist, please let me know. But I know that was not your reason for this call."

Two nodded slightly, then replied. "Ever since Four and I were rescued from The Borg, we have been attempting to discover who we really are. In that search, we discovered some family. Namely, the names of our parents...and you and Rin. These discoveries have given us a strong thirst to learn more." She paused a beat, before continuing. "As you are the only living member of our family that we currently have to speak to, we were hoping, without any expectations of course, that you would be willing to speak to us more on the subject. We understand that this topic is very sensitive to you, and we apologize for causing you any further pain, Sir. Should you wish to not discuss this further, we shall respect your wishes."

"It's alright," James assured them. "Honestly, I don't get to reminisce about Rin very often. But let's start with your parents." James spent some time sharing what he remembered. They had become quick friends because they were the only other married couple among the junior officers. The both of them had practically glowed over the fact that they were having a baby, and when they found out it was twins, they were, if anything, even more thrilled, although also a tiny bit terrified. He talked about dinners together and holo-vid nights and the random idiosyncrasies that still stuck with him 3 decades later.

Two and Four listened to James speak with rapt attention, not interrupting him, for fear of causing him to lose his line of thought. After he finished, they were silent for are beats, as they compiled the new information into their memory files. Then, Two replied. "Thank you, Captain, for speaking with us about this topic. It has given us much to think about. Would it be appropriate for us to reach out to you, in the future, to discuss it more?"

"Yes, if you wish." He wasn't sure what else he could offer them on the matter of their parents, but there was no harm in leaving the avenue open.

Two nodded her head in acknowledgement of James' reply. Then she asked, "Is there anything that you wish to know about my brother or myself, since we last met. Other than what was said during our initial meeting, that is?" She didn't state that James has seemed very closed to hearing about them, or even wanting a relationship with them. While she wouldn't push the issue, if he declined again, she silently hoped that he'd change his mind. As all of their parent's families were gone, Two and Four literally has no one they could consider family, other than Rin and James, their godparents.

"I guess...I'm not sure what to ask," James replied. "People bombarded Rin with questions she often couldn't answer. I have no wish to put you through the same. I hope Starfleet was gentler with you. I don't think we're great on the matter. I know Rin was working up suggested protocols."

They're more than xBs, he could practically hear Rin say inside his head. Just talk to them like people.

"How did you come to join Starfleet?" he asked. "It was a grueling process for Rin."

Two considered the question for a moment, then replied. "At first, following our rescue and reeducation by Federation trauma councilors, Four and I were in a bit of a limbo state. We were still learning who we were, without the Collective. Then, as our studies continued, we learned about several other XB's, like Rin, who joined Starfleet. We felt that it was the right thing, for us, to do. So, we applied to the Academy and were accepted. I graduated third in my class, Four graduated seventh." She paused a beat, then asked, "May we ask you about Rin?"

"Of course," James replied. " That's the easiest one for me to talk about. What would you like to know?"

Two glanced over at her brother, they seemed to share a telepathic conversation, and she nodded. Turning back to face the screen, she asked, "We are both curious about who she was before she was assimilated. We never got a chance to discuss it with her, before the Elysium disappeared."

"Ah, well, I'm the better person to ask about that one. She's almost entirely missing her memories," James explained, settling back in his chair.

"She was almost boundlessly optimistic. Always there when someone needed a shoulder to lean on. Didn't have to even be a friend. Athletic. Moderately competitive, in all sorts of things you don't normally consider a competition. Like who could chart out the most convoluted theoretical star system that still worked according to the laws of physics, which she did in astrophysics at the Academy." He chuckled at the memory of her testing her models over and over, watching the planets keep spiraling off in all directions in the simulations.

"She played the violin. Well enough she debated whether her career would lay in Starfleet or music. She still plays, although I've never heard her. I don't know if anyone has. She's very private about it, something she just does for herself."

"We got married just before our final semester at the Academy, so that we'd be assigned to the same ship. We had been dating for two years by that point, although we had been pretty sure about things after the first year. I have pictures, if you're interested?"

Two seemed to perk up. "Yes, please, Sir! We would be happy to have anything from our combined past!" She then seemed to listen to a question her brother asked her, then asked, her excitement growing a bit more somber. "Do you....have children together?"

"No, no children," James assured them, refraining from pointing out that if he and Rin had had children they would most likely be dead. "We might have, eventually, but both of us were focused on our careers. It wasn't the right time for us."

He tapped buttons on the display to bring up some pictures. His own collections of pictures was gone, destroyed with the London, but he had collected copies of images from family and some Academy friends. Most were from their wedding, with Rin and James both in uniform. Rin's unruly hair - a far cry from her hair nowadays, which was straight - had been braided into an updo. Some of the pics were formal, a few not. There was the obligatory cake-on-the-nose pic.

And they looked happy. Well and truly happy. They radiated it, unlike Rin's current calm demeanor.

Two and Four drew closer to the screen, as they looked at the images. There was almost the look of curious children, who were being shown something very special and cherished, in their eyes and faces. As much as their Borg implants allowed, that is.

"You two looked very happy together," Two finally replied. "How long were you married....before the Borg?" She had asked the question as delicately as she could, though it seemed that she was still having difficulty with nuance.

"Two years," James answered, with a bit of a sad smile at the memories. "I was on an away mission when the London got recalled. Saved by ridiculously dumb luck."

Two wasn't sure how to respond to the last sentence, as she and her brother, along with their godmother and several others, had had no such luck. Finally, after an awkward moment of silence, she did finally reply simply, "Yes, Sir."

James wasn't sure what else to say as an awkward silence settled over the three of them. "Was there anything else I could share with you? Anything else I can do?" he asked.

Two paused as she communicated with her brother. Then, she turned her attention back to James. "Would you tell us about you and your life, Sir? If we are to rebuild a relationship, there would be things about you that we should know."

"Excuse me?" James said with a sharp edged voice. "I knew you as babies more than three decades ago. You don't know me at all. There is no relationship to rebuild, and I don't appreciate someone assuming such a familiarity. If you want to build a relationship, you don't do it by telling someone - a practical stranger - that there is stuff you should know about."

If Two was perturbed by James' terse reply, it didn't show. She continued to speak in a calm tone. "But you are not a stranger, Sir. You were there when we took our first breaths. You were there to celebrate, with our parents, our joining this world. You were there, being the only one to mourn all of our losses." The look in her eyes softened a bit at that last statement. "You are no stranger, Sir. Far from it. My brother and I wish to rebuild as many relationships of our past lives, aa well as build new ones. How are we to fully know who we are, and where we are going...if we do not fully know who we were and where we came from?"

"And I am willing to answer what I can about your parents, about where you came from, about my experiences with them and you, with the understanding that I don't have much to share about you, due to your age at the time. But that offer does not entitle you to pry into my personal life.

"And you are mistaken about who mourned you," James continued. "The entire Federation mourned, regardless whether they personally knew someone lost. You are correct, however, that my loss was more personal than most. Discounting the others on the away team, I lost all of my crewmates. I lost most of my friends. And I lost my wife. And as we learned more about the Borg, I hoped, no, I prayed that all of you had died, because it seemed a kinder fate than the alternative."

There was more he wanted to say, but he couldn't find the words, so he just let it rest here.

Two was silent for several beats, her face unreadable. Then, after glancing slightly to her brother and nodding, she turned her gaze back to the viewscreen. "We beg your forgiveness. We do not wish to seem prying or demanding in any way." She paused, as if trying to find the right words.

"Since our rescue, we have been working hard toward finding our place in society. As this is basically our first few years of life, we could still be considered naive and innocent children, in many respects. Though we are physically grown and mentally developed, we do not possess all of the nuances or life experiences that we would have had, if we had had normal lives. Please grant us your patience during this learning process?" In that moment, though she was physically an adult young woman, she almost seemed as if she were a child.

James agreed with the bit about them being naive and childlike, although he didn't say so. That had been his impression from their first meeting. He had been somewhat surprised they had made it into Starfleet, but that wasn't his business. Then again, plenty of people had been wary of Rin rejoining Starfleet too. He'd argue the cases were quite different, but, well, he was also more than a bit biased.

"You don't need to beg," he assured them. "You should never need to beg. Apology accepted. Can I offer a bit of unsolicited advice?"

A look of gratitude flashed over Two's face, before she replied. "Yes, please?" Four seemed to move closer to the view screen, as both he and his sister waited to hear what advice their godfather had to give them.

"Look forward, not backward," James said. "You're not defined by your parents nor your godparents. Finding your place in society can be hard, particularly in one you did not grow up in. But your lives are about your experiences. Find the place you want to be in, and move forward. Connect with the people around you. You want to know where you're going, but you keep looking backward. There's nothing wrong with wanting to learn about your past, but I don't think that's where you're going to find the answers you're looking for."

Two was silent for a few beats, as she tilted her head slightly toward her brother, as he communicated with her over their neural link. Then, she nodded and looked back at James' image. "You are correct, Sir. Thank you." Then she paused another beat, before carefully asking, "While we will still respect your wishes of privacy...given our distant connection...would it be allowed, or proper, for us to refer to you in a more familiar setting?" Her face returned to its neutral stance of respectfulness as she quickly added, "Unless you prefer we keep our addresses formal, of course."

James considered. Really, he preferred a more formal arrangement at the moment, but he also understood this was a fairly unique situation. And, if Rin never returned....

Damn this entire situation.

"James is alright in private," he conceded. "But we need to remain formal in public. For now, anyway."

Two nodded in agreement. "Of course, Sir! We both agree wholeheartedly." She paused a beaslt, then added, "

For the next half hour, the conversation came to it's natural conclusion. "Thank you again, James, for taking the time to speak to us. We look forward to doing more in the future, if you are willing."